I firmly believe that I delved into this book under false pretenses. I had initially thought that the plot would predominantly deal with the highly controversial and thought-provoking issue of euthanasia. However, in reality, that particular issue took a back seat to the rather absurd and unseemly shenanigans of the weak, ineffective, selfish, and hormone-driven sheriff. Cameron Mac Donald, not only the sheriff of Wheelock, Massachusetts, but also the laird of the clan that constitutes a significant portion of the population, is a character who leaves much to be desired.

Married to Allie, who essentially paves the way for him throughout their married life, he居然 has an affair with, of all people, his wife's assistant at the flower shop she owns. What on earth?! And Allie remains completely clueless until she stumbles upon irrefutable evidence. While I did applaud her resulting rage, it still wasn't sufficient for me to wholeheartedly embrace her character. People who willingly allow themselves to be doormats are simply anathema to me.

Thankfully, there were only three characters that elicited any good feelings from me. One was Jamie MacDonald, who killed his wife because she asked him to. The depth of love he felt for his wife and the resultant anguish he endured truly tore at my heart.

I also enjoyed Ellen MacDonald, Cameron's mother. A woman after my own heart, she has wholeheartedly embraced her age and opened herself up to new/old ways of healing after loss.

And I absolutely adored Angus MacDonald, Cameron's great uncle. Without his classic pithy wit and pragmatic approach to life, I doubt I would have been able to finish this book.

It seemed as though the murder and the resulting trial were merely the subplot to the sad and sick tale of the MacDonalds and their marital woes. What a great shame. The author had a genuine opportunity to shine a bright light on a very real and pressing issue of our time. However, she unfortunately let it slip away.

I'm not sure if I've outgrown Jodi Picoult's books or if the ones I've read recently just aren't as good as her best. I adored some of her older works like "My Sister's Keeper," "Nineteen Minutes," and "Perfect Match," but her earliest and latest ones haven't been to my taste. "Mercy" was a disappointment for several reasons.

The main issue in the book, presented through Jamie MacDonald, who kills his terminally ill wife Maggie at her request, is an interesting premise but not well-executed. Jamie's character is underdeveloped, and the polarized opinions about his actions seem forced. Graham, his defense attorney, is also a weak character.

The Cam/Mia/Allie storyline is a mess. Cam is a douchebag who treats Allie horribly and has an affair with Mia almost immediately after Allie leaves town. Mia's actions and lack of guilt are disturbing, and the supposed love between Cam and Mia is not convincing. Allie, the character I liked the most, frustrates me by taking Cam back after he cheats on her.
The scene where Jamie tells Allie to take Cam back is also inappropriate, as the situations are not comparable. The Angus flashbacks are weird and unnecessary. Overall, Picoult fails to write a convincing book about the complicated nature of love.

The Cam/Mia/Allie storyline is particularly bad, lacking romance and true love. I hope her future books are better.

The only character I truly liked in this book was Jaime.

Allie came across as pathetic, Cam was a POS (piece of something not so nice), and Mia was just plain annoying.

At the start of each chapter, there are letters. However, she never reveals who the letters are addressed to or from. They just exist there. And they could potentially be between so many people.

I simply want to be told. I don't desire to have to attempt to figure it out. I don't want to read a "choose your own adventure" kind of thing. I want the author to tell me a story. That's the reason I read, you know? So that aspect was really obnoxious.

I thought I would find out the truth at the end, but I didn't. Instead, I found out right at the beginning that Jaime kills his wife, who is dying of cancer.

But it's difficult for me to truly believe this. He and his wife are supposed to be the perfect couple, deeply in love. And her reasoning? She wants him to be the last one to touch her. Then hold her hand while she swallows a bottle of pills. Why not just let nature take its course? Who would ask someone to do that? Didn't she consider the consequences for him?

This was one of my least favorite Jodi Picoult books. The topic was great, but the story was kind of crappy. I feel like it had so much potential to be better. And I could have done without all the Cam/Allie/Mia drama. I could continue to talk about more things in this book that I didn't like, but you probably get the idea.

One of my all-time favorite earlier novels by Jodi Picoult is this particular one.

It delves into the highly controversial topic of mercy killing. However, just like any other Picoult book, the supporting characters have their own engaging plots that draw you in deeply.

At first, you think you're simply reading a story about mercy killings, but then it evolves to encompass a plethora of themes such as marriage, infidelity, and forgiveness.

Picoult is truly a master at skillfully weaving together so many complex emotions and thought-provoking questions.

This leaves readers not only debating but also continuously thinking about the story long after they've put the book down.

My quick and simple overall assessment is that it's a touchy subject matter, yet it's a beautiful story that goes far beyond just mercy killing. It explores the human condition in all its intricacies and leaves a lasting impact on the reader.

I'm awarding this book a solid 4.5 stars based on my internal angst meter. Despite having homework coming out of every pore and more work than I can realistically complete in a reasonable time, I had an almost compulsive need to Finish The Book. For those considering the audiobook version, my walking pace significantly increased while listening to this!

This book is dated. It was written in the early 2000s about events in the mid-1990s. That means communication was very different from our cell-phone-dominated lives. Disappearing with a side piece for hours was much easier when not constantly tethered to a phone or tracking device. I didn't like the hero, and that didn't change throughout the book. What a weasel! I also didn't like the other woman and had no sympathy for her. But, I also didn't like the heroine! I can tolerate that kind of blind, star-struck devotion in historical romances when women had few opportunities for autonomy, but I don't like it in "modern" women. I struggled with that. However, I saw the most growth in her among all the characters, and ultimately, she made a decision about Cam that she could live with. Cam will suffer the consequences of his choices for the rest of his life, although I agree with some other reviewers that if Mia appears in the future, they'd make the most of that encounter! And that epic yard sale was amazing! The book was worth it just for that!

I deducted half a point for the quasi-PNR features, which didn't really fit with the whole story for me. But since they weren't a large part of the book, I could overlook them. I enjoyed remembering the uproar around euthanasia that dominated the news for years. That little exercise reminded me that some things change and some stay the same. Finally, where was the small town gossip network?! There's no way a police chief could behave so badly and not get caught by nosy townspeople. Anyone who grew up in a small town can attest to that. Despite its flaws, I know I'll reread (or relisten) to this again because it's that good.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this journey, even if I wanted to grab Cam by the short and curlies and give him a couple of hard shakes.

Ugh, this book. Ugh.

From the very moment I picked it up, I just knew deep down that I was going to regret reading it.

Jodi Picoult indeed has some great ideas, but unfortunately, her execution always leaves a lot to be desired. It's as if she never quite knows how to bring her stories to a satisfying conclusion.

It's like she gets bored with the writing process and just wants to hurriedly finish the novel.

The characters in this book really drive me nuts. Cam is such a jerk, and Mia is no better. And Allie seriously needs to grow a backbone.

The only character I had any liking for at all was Ellen, but sadly, she didn't have nearly enough to do in the novel.

I also kind of liked Angus, but I have absolutely no idea what his role or what he was meant to represent in the book.

The book progresses at an excruciatingly slow pace. And quite frankly, the blurb gives no real indication of what the book is truly about.

I was really hoping to read more about the court case, about Maggie's battle with cancer and her decision to end her life via Jamie.

But instead, we have to endure Cam and Mia's so-called beautiful (gag!) relationship.

This book is simply terrible. Picoult is an okay writer - her prose is at least passable. And she does start with great ideas.

But her characters lack believability and her endings are disappointingly flat.

Please provide the article that needs to be rewritten and expanded so that I can assist you further.

I'm on the same boat as a lot of reviewers on this one. I truly adore JP's writing style and the way she masterfully unfolds the story. However, this particular story won't be making its way onto my Favorites list.

I was extremely interested in the Maggie/Jamie storyline. It had me eagerly turning the pages, desperate to see what the outcome of the trial would be. The anticipation was palpable.

I did find myself a little distracted by Uncle Angus and his deal with his flashbacks and such. It seemed to pull my attention away from the main plot at times.

I know these kinds of women exist, but I was a bit annoyed by Allie's naivety. Her complete devotion to Cam and her unquestioning trust in Mia, a stranger who steps into their lives, was a bit much for me. Even the way she latches onto Jamie was rather excessive. This woman loves everything that crosses her path as much as Cam does.

And speaking of Cam, I'm not sure if I hate him as much as I'd like to. What he does is indeed low, incredibly selfish, and thoughtless. But here's a guy who's been burdened by responsibilities and expectations as the clan chief, a title he never really wanted, and as the police chief, an occupation handed down to him through generations. He finds himself stuck in a rut of a "comfortable" marriage while his dreams, passions, and secret desires are buried like leaves in the pages of a heavy book. Mia just happens to be the catalyst that opens his eyes to all the things he's pushed aside to fulfill his obligations to others before himself. When you've spent your whole life enjoying Vanilla and then Heavenly Hash is presented, who wouldn't wonder about what they've missed out on? But all that aside, a betrayal of trust is like pulling a nail out of a piece of wood. The nail may be gone, but the hole will always remain.

All in all, I found Mercy to be a good, entertaining read. It had its flaws, but it also had enough elements to keep me engaged and interested throughout.

I have two secrets, and this might contain spoilers.

First of all, I have a strange penchant for books that center around adultery or cheating. Seriously, don't ask me why. Maybe I really do need to see a shrink about this. Second, this is the only book of Jodi's that I not only despised but couldn't even bring myself to finish.

In any book that delves into this particular subject matter, which Jodi often explores in her works, whether on a small or grand scale, I always find myself developing an emotional connection with both parties involved. It's not always a one-sided affair as most of us are commonly led to believe. We typically side with the person who is being cheated on and not the cheater. However, I'm not suggesting that we should take the side of the adulterer. Instead, I'm simply stating that the adulterer isn't always an entirely bad person.

Having said that, Cameron in this book is a complete jerk. If he were a real, living person, I would seriously love to punch him in the face. He just comes across as so unlikable and deserving of some sort of comeuppance. It's really hard to find any redeeming qualities in him, which is what made this book such a struggle for me to get through.

Jesus, fuck. This story was an absolute whirlwind. It was like a Sydney Sheldon worthy saga that had everything going on.

I just couldn't keep up with all the plot threads. There were far too many to cover in this review. While I do appreciate the complex tapestry the author wove, I found myself constantly waiting for all this random stuff to come together and form a cohesive picture. After reading so many pages of semi-relevant plot, I just started scrolling.

Everybody and their dog seemed to have a point of view in this mess. Like, seriously???

I hated the hero from the very beginning. He dumped all his issues on the heroine as if she was too stupid and provincial to understand him and was thus part of the unwanted responsibility holding him back. He didn't even give her a chance to know him before he cheated with the other woman. He cut short her attempts with a callousness that was truly cruel. And throughout the entire book, he never let her in. He's completely unredeemable because he didn't give a damn about the heroine in the first place. Then, at the end, he just wanted to "salvage what he could" with her. What a prince charming!

He kissed the other woman the first time they were truly alone and had sex with her without a condom the first night they were alone. He didn't give a shit about the heroine. He pursued the other woman when she fled and dragged her back into their sordid relationship. She broke it off twice, but he was still going to leave the heroine for her!!!

The supposed kismet between the hero and the other woman, who seemed to have had dozens of opportunities to meet while living in Europe in their youth but didn't, made me think this plot would have been better if the hero and heroine had had destiny interfere on a cosmic level and bring them both the other woman and the other man as soulmates, with whom they could move on to a better life.

As it is, the heroine thinks their relationship has a 70/30 balance (guess which half she is). But the countless ways he is less than a loving partner to her before he cheats make her a sad character and him a huge douche who is at best apathetic and at worst resentful of her. She's his "regrets" punching bag.

However, the one thing that really worked in this book was the angst. Holy fuck, it was good. So often I complain about not understanding why the hero cheats or not having enough point of view to see his reactions and actions with the other woman, but here, we discover that he LOVES the other woman. Like, truly loves her with a passion, clarity, and understanding he never had for the heroine. And I'm heartbroken because he never will. Poor heroine. We don't even see them really dealing with the affair. The book just ends with them trying to figure out what the first step to reconciliation is.

I can't end this without mentioning the unsent letters. They were from the hero to the other woman after the heroine discovers the affair. I'm devastated for the heroine. I don't read this trope for irredeemable and unrepentant cheaters to get away with it over and over again. I need the cheater to value what they had and work to get back into that happy place. Definitely not yearning and mooning over their lover after the hero and heroine reconcile. And we never see that reconciliation happen on page, and I doubt it even exists.

I really hated the writing quality. It was so dreamy and distant from the action that I wanted to give it 1 star for that and for my loathing of the hero and the doormat-like heroine. But, I just couldn't put this book down. I read it until 5 am, then got up at 10 am, drank some coffee, and started reading again. That's some 5-star stuff right there. But the ending was such a fail that I can barely see past 3 stars. My 4 stars is because I'll be thinking about this book for a long time.

TW: Besides the obvious cheating, there's also euthanasia. I watched my husband die from a terminal illness, and euthanasia would have been kinder than his violent suicide.

This book is truly a disappointment. It makes me seriously consider petitioning Goodreads to have the option of leaving a zero-star review.

If it weren't for the fact that I was reading it as a book club book, there is absolutely no chance I would have managed to get through the entire thing.

I suppose I can grudgingly give it one star for the appropriate title. Because when I finally read the last page and was able to throw this book out of my sight forever, I felt a sense of sweet, sweet mercy.

For those who are debating whether to read this or not, my advice is a resounding no. For the love of God, do not subject yourself to this. Save yourself the time and the frustration.

There are so many other wonderful books out there waiting to be discovered. Do yourself a favor and choose one of those instead.

Trigger warnings: cancer, death of a loved one, murder(??), grief, cheating oh my God so much cheating.

1.5 stars.

Here's the deal: I've heard countless people singing the praises of Jodi Picoult's books and how wonderful they are. I read My Sister's Keeper last year and mostly just felt that it was overly emotionally manipulative.

So I decided to give another one a try. We were getting rid of this book at work, so I thought I might as well choose it. And I'm really, really conflicted, you guys. Because this was FUCKING TERRIBLE. And yet, at the same time, it was incredibly captivating.

Basically, this is the story of a small town police chief. He's happily married and also a laird despite living in Massachusetts because apparently the Scottish branch of Clan MacDonald has no responsible adults left??? I don't even know. And then his cousin shows up in town. And said cousin has just killed his wife. But it's okay because his wife had terminal cancer and she asked him to kill her. (Don't come at me about spoilers, I swear to fucking God. THAT'S ALL IN THE BLURB.)

Based on all of that, I thought this was going to be a book about ethical dilemmas and whether doing the right thing can be right even if it's illegal and so on. Instead, this was mostly a book about the aforementioned police chief cheating on his wife. And I really didn't care at all.

Don't get me wrong - I cared about the court case and how things were going to unfold. But Cam is a despicable human and should be tossed in the trash where he belongs, and having so much of the story focus on him was... no. Not okay.

So yeah. Really, this would be a 1 star book except for the fact that it was SO COMPELLING and I had to know how it ended. But if I were basing this book solely on Cam's character? It would be a negative five thousand stars and I'd be making a journey to Mordor to throw it into Mount Doom where it belongs.